Labels

28 October 2012

The Heritage Town of Taal: Galleria Taal's Collections

Galleria Taal is one of the places that a traveler should visit once they step foot in this quaint town of Taal, Batangas. Let me enumerate why:

1. Galleria Taal is an ancestral house. Built during the Spanish era and has endured a lot. If only the house could speak and tell us its rich history, it would give a tale of what it has seen and experienced.
2. A collection of historically-relative photographs that will transport you to the time of the past.
3. Lastly, a vast collection of vintage cameras that dates back to the late 1800s up to the new ones of the present time period. And some are still working. Really impressive.

Located along the main street of Taal which is the Agoncillo St., I recommend walking in this town as the other points of interest such as the Taal Basilica and the other museums are just a few minutes away from each other on foot. While walking, you can slowly take in the surroundings and let your mind do some imagining.

Entrance fee is P50. That already includes a guided tour explaining the historical wealth of this house.

The walls are adorned in many Philippine antiquarian photographs that not only shows the faces of the original owners of the house but also bits and pieces of our country's history and also how certain famous landmarks looked like back in the days of yore.

A group of young students were present (we were here on a Sunday) and I guess, they were here for a school assignment. For us, it was the same objective as well as a leisurely stroll for learning.

The Binondo Church circa 1890. Regally beautiful!

The guide told us this girl in the photo was a beauty queen. I said, "Whaaaat????" She was "healthy"-looking! Then I said to my friends I should have been born during that era, haha! With enough gumption, I could have been one! Haha!

The execution of Jose Rizal. An original copy that was given by the actual photographer. This is basically, the closest we can get to the real thing. It gave me goosebumps when I peered into this.

A helioscopic lantern (Magic Lantern Projector) circa 1880. According tocollectorsweekly.com, Magic lanterns, also known as optical lanterns, provided one of the most popular forms of entertainment during their heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries, establishing many of the first 2-D special effects.

More of the camera collections! Awesome! And all are in good condition!

Now this one is a limited edition..Nikon FA Gold 1984! 24-karat gold plating with high-quality lizard leather covering. Sells for a couple thousand of dollars now. Only 2,000 units were made. Now this is pretty prestigious.

More, more & more! A treasure trove for camera enthusiasts who wants to see the different early forms of their beloved gadgets.

There it is: Old historical pictures, antique cameras all placed in an ancestral house. That's a 3 in 1 treat!

High school friends!

Done with the tour! Happy to have seen what Galleria Taal has in store for its visitors. =)

Exhibited are the photo collections of:

John Silva

John Tewell

George Bonasay

Sonny Camarillo

And the vintage camera collections of Manny Inumerable

Mr. Manny Inumerable who was the brains behind the Galleria Taal. And that is his camera collection. Such dedication! (Photo grabbed from http://taalgalleria.com )

I really like looking at old photographs. It's like stepping into another time and place and immersing in their reality. Whenever I look at a still photo from the past, it's like it's moving and telling me their story. :)

The house need not speak about itself at least for history lovers especially ancestral edifices. I remember that white crochet piece - very common in Filipino households. The high back chairs are my faves.

thanks for this addition to my future taal itinerary. i haven't been to taal really or have not walked around the town, so you mean once I'm in the town of taal, all these heritage houses and museums are just a walking distance away from each other?